Canelo Alvarez has shared the ring with some huge punchers throughout his career.
The Mexican icon began his professional career way back in October 2005 at the age of 15, and has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in the entire sport.
Canelo is a four-weight world champion, having claimed world honours at super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight.
He became undisputed at 168lbs, and remains the unified champion by currently holding the WBC, WBA and WBO titles, though he will get another chance to become undisputed when he takes on IBF champion William Scull in May.
Arguably the most famous fights of Canelo’s career are a trilogy he had over a number of years with Gennady Golovkin, which saw Canelo win two fights and the other ending in a draw, though some fans felt the draw should have been given in GGG’s favour.
While many observers would believe that Golovkin is the biggest puncher that Canelo has ever faced, the Mexican superstar disagrees, telling that the hardest hitter he took on was James Kirland, nicknamed the ‘Mandingo Warrior’.
“Everybody can say Golovkin, but I never felt that bad like Kirkland. Kirkland hit my arms and it felt like rocks. I say I need to finish this guy right now, because he’s going to hit me all the fight around.”
Canelo and Kirkland met back in May 2015, but the fight only lasted three rounds, as Alvarez claimed the stoppage in one of the most eye-catching knockout wins of his career.
Kirkland ended his career with a record of 34 wins and 3 defeats, with 30 of those wins coming by knockout, illustrating just how much power he did indeed have.
